In-Person at Pema Osel Ling—This one-and-only annual retreat offers a transformative activation through sonic resonance, deep chant, and original music made by participants from every corner of the World, accompanied by the Vox Mundi master musicians’ensemble. This will be the 27th year of this memorable gathering.
Dismantling hierarchies and divisions of all kinds, the Santa Cruz retreat unfolds amid the divine art of the Vajrayana community, the sacred transmission of the Stupa Park, and the nobility of redwoods, among other delights. The sacred land and the lineage inspire an enduring sense of embodied freedom, peace, and joy.
Let’s Make Music and Magic Together!
EARLY-REGISTRATION SPECIAL DISCOUNT $200 before May 1st –
Applies to all accommodations, except single room or cabin accommodations.
OVERVIEW
Everyone is welcome to attend this fantastic retreat. It’s time to gather and co-create beautiful music together. These powerful times invite radical transformation, raising awareness of the power of deep listening, love, and collective collaboration. For 26 years, these retreats have been an invitation to bring out renewal and inspiration by Freeing Our Voices and supporting our artistic aspirations. This year we are so happy welcome our international Faculty together again and other amazing guest teachers.
New Additions to the Schedule:
Yoga of the Voice Certification Teacher Training Sessions Recording Tools Workshops Crystal Bowls and Sound Healing Session
Brazilian Music and Afro-Brazilian Dance
In the Afternoon, participants can create their own getaway by choosing any workshop, or relax in the woods, swimming, hiking, or make music with someone in the group.
LOGISTICS
Arrival: August 5, about 1:00 PM – Bring your snacks upon arrival.
First Group Session 4:00 PM
First group meal at 6:30 PM
Evening session: 8:00 PM – Be there!
Departure: August 9 late evening or August 10- after light breakfast.
Participants are welcome to stay on Monday, August 10, rest, relax, enjoy the pool, or watever you need to integrate. No meals or lodging is included–
The closest AIRPORT: San Jose (about 1 hour to the land). Preferably, find a flight that arrives there at about noon to share rides with other participants. We will send Transportation Information after Registration on a Welcome Letter. A new shuttle company, Santa Cruz Shuttles: https://www.santacruzshuttles.com/private-shuttle-rates/ can be pre-scheduled individually or in small groups. UBER / LYFT can be available sometimes but not always.
TUITION FEES are set according to type of accommodations.
All included; teachings, lodging, delicious food, extraordinary music, and trans-performances.
ACCOMMODATIONS_Pictures of rooms, cabins, and tents will send be sent request.
Shared Indoor Rooms & Cabins, $1800 paid in full before May 1st, and $1,950 after
Outdoor Camping, $1300 before May 1st, and $1400 after
{Camping in pristine and abundant 150 acres of sacred land – There is one bigger tent available for $100 (one payment) and more tents available for $100 (one-time payment for the whole week). Please, bring cash for these and any extra fees. }
Weekend only Registration, $850 – Friday to Sunday
IMPORTANT NOTE: the indoor single and double occupations will be sold out in a few days. Register soon. Outdoor space for camping and trailers is plenty and beautiful. We encourage participants to invite friends and family to share rooms or cabins. Few RV vehicles are also allowed.
Picture of the Santa Cruz Retreat, 2019
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HOW TO REGISTER:
Step 1: Request and complete the registration form – we’ll send via email
Step 2: Make Payment – Venmo, Zelle, Wise, Personal checks
Paypal – Must add $30 dollars transaction fee – (international students only).
Venmo – @Silvia-NakkachKnapp
Zelle – 415-608-1535 payable to Silvia Monica Knapp
International students are encouraged to pay with WISE and we will send you the account number.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
ALL REGISTRATION BALANCE MUST BE PAID IN FULL NOT LATER THAN JULY 1st
TO HONOR ANY EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Payment will be refunded in full minus a $50 administration fee two months before the day that the event starts. There will not be refunds if cancellation if requested after July 1st, unless an emergency is involved. This is providing that the faculty, the creative team, and the organizational budget have been already been assigned and set. Registration balance must be paid no later than July 1st. Thank you!
Joy + a loving sense of unity
Music + Unconditional Chanting
Your Voice has a Heart + Let’s open it!
Unlocking the creative potential of embodied sound
• Experience Akhanda Swara– the uninterrupted current of sound that dissolves into silence
• Feel the resonance of tones that calm the mind and make it sensitive to divine intervention
• Learn more about the Dhrupad Chants as we’ll share the selfless search for the Infinite Sound through “call and response singing.
• Sound Immersions dedicated space and Alchemy Bowls available
WHY ATTEND:
• We are all waiting for the world to heal, but until it does, let’s share what inspires us the most: Chanting and Music-Making together
• We share the emotional magic of the ragas and the medicine melodies from across the globe and embody the life within the ragas of India rendered from the source of pure lineage.
• The retreat immersion will reinvigorate your creative expression by awakening the shakti of your voice. You’ll have a direct experience of purification through sound.
• You’ll expand your musical horizons, learn new practices and advance your professional development, as you learn facilitations techniques and the secrets of sympathetic resonance.
• If you are drawn to the intersection between artistic expression, nature, and spirituality, this program is for you and will nurture your heart for a long time beyond.
Like a magic spell, this musical community is life-fulfilling and will enrich your work and the way you listen to the world around you forever!
WHO WILL BENEFIT:
The experience will be highly restorative, liberating, and profound for vocalists, sound healers, music therapists, musicians, bodywork practitioners, recording artists, spiritual leaders, choir conductors, spiritual seekers, yogis, music teachers, and anyone in search of inspiration and community.
Open to all levels of skill and listening! You don’t have to be a “musician” or a “singer” to participate. You become a part of a vibrant international community of people and sound healers who love to sing and make music together.
Photos and Photo-Art by Andrea M. Boston
AREAS OF STUDY:
_ Mindful Breathing & Sound techniques facilitate the healthy flow of “prana” (life force)
_ Human Tuning, Sound & Voice in Healing with Tuning Forks
_ Deep Listening exercises to apply in any field
_ A taste of ‘Karaj‘ and Dhrupad tuning practices
_ Vocal Cultures of Improvisation & The Voices of the Voice
_ Medicine Melodies; The Voice of the Icaros and Sacred Chant
_ Transformances by the participants and the faculty
_ Subtle Movement exercises to release vocal tension
_ Specific Hands & Arms Gestures (Mudras) that activate and refine tone and presence
_ Voice Placement, Tuning, and Resonance Space Dynamics
_ The Inspiring Voice of Mantra and the Indian Ragas
_ Modern Extended Vocal Techniques
_ Nada Yoga, DhrupadSyllables, and Sentences that shape the tone and relax the breath
_ Vocal Meditations practices that focus on melodic extension
_ The Biosonic Body; Using the Voice with Tuning Forks
_ The Voice in Shamanic Journeys
_ The Voice of Afro-Brazilan Chants
_ The Voice and Sound in Repertoire Development and building a music vocabulary
_ The Voice in Thelepatic listening and Intuition
_ Chanting as a Spiritual Path
The Flow of Each Day!
In the true spirit of Saraswati, the Indian Goddesses of learning and creative flow, the retreat unfolds through a gentle continuum of contemplative and expressive practices that support the development of a healthy voice and follow the path to living as a divine art.
Early Morning: Karaj-Tuning (expanding vocal range) Qi Gong & Yoga (optional).
Breakfast
Group Morning Session: The Art of Melody, Raga, and Yoga of the Voice, Repertoire Development, etc.
Lunch & Rest
Afternoon: Concurrent Workshops and Training (optional)
Group Evening Session: Raga Singing, Kirtan, Lectures, Sound Immersions, and Creative collaborations among participants.
Optional activities include: | Rhythm and Instruments instruction | New Paradigm Sound Healing and Shamanic Journeys | Promo-Video Recording and Private Voice Sessions upon availability | Making new international friends | Enjoy swimming and dancing in a divine pool | Walks to the most powerful and precious Stupa Park | Treasure dharma shopping | Delicious meals | Surprised guests artist and live concerts | And… Consider enjoyment.
Music and its power to transform and heal has always been a passion for Ramesh Kannan. Growing up in a musical household, the healing power of music was introduced to him at a very young age. His mother, an accomplished Carnatic Indian vocalist, introduced him to tabla drums at the age of 8. His lifelong musical journey has lead him to learn a wide array of percussive instruments including drum set, djembe, dumbek, udu, and cajon. As a world percussionist, Ramesh has had the opportunity to collaborate with numerous internationally renown artists including Snatam Kaur, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das,Deva Premal, Mitten, Manose, Will Ackerman, Tony Levin, GuruGanesha Singh, Rick Allen, Gregory Alan Isakov, and many more. In addition to his musicality, Ramesh is a licensed acupuncturist who specializes in chronic pain and oncology. He has been practicing in major hospitals and medical centers for over 15 years and has developed highly successful Integrative Medicine programs within mainstream medical institutions in the Bay Area. When he is not playing music, practicing medicine, or managing his clinics, he finds immense joy in spending time with his family and coaching youth basketball in the community. He resides in Santa Cruz, CA.
ENJOY THE RETREAT MEDIA GALLERY throughout the years:
Thank you for supporting The Vox Mundi School of the Voice’s mission of education and preservation of sacred music as a spiritual practice. We hope to continue virtually and globally traveling through music that heals and is blessed by a pure ancient lineage of great masters.
Photos and Photo-Art by Andrea M. Boston 
